How to play A K and missing?

Was hoping to get your thoughts on playing A K. I personally hate this hand but that's more from bad beats than not realising some of it's potential. What I would like to know is some thoughts on how to play it?

As to now I make the standard open raise of 4 x BB plus re-raise of 3 x raise with hope of all in preflop. Is this correct? If not then what do you guys and gals suggest?

Also sometimes as the aggressor with my 4 x BB raise I get a couple of callers. Fine! But then comes the flop which is dry dry dry. Queens and lower which completely misses my hole cards. Now what to do? If I check to it I can guarantee someone will bet behind me and often in front of me IP.

As you said if you get a couple of callers with your raise preflop that is fine.

In this case (multi way pot), a CB will probably be called, so I would say if you miss you miss what can you do.

But remember that you will flop an A or K 33% of the time with your AK.
That is more than enough to get some money...

Hi Dublimax,

So you think I am playing right as per the above? It really seems to bleed me of chips which is a frustrating part of my low limit game at the mo. Make a big pot then bleed it off with A K and other marginal hands.

This post has been edited 2 time(s), it was last edited by Wurble: 25.06.2010 16:19.

AK can be horrible but when you raise pre there are so many worse hands that will call you're getting a lot of value. As has been mentioned roughly 1/3 of the time you'll hit TPTK.

Personally, at the micro's, unless I have a real good read on a villain which tells me to do otherwise I'm always c-betting provided it's not a real scary board with a ton of draws just waiting to complete. Provided the c-bet takes the pot half the time this is already a profitable play.

You can go all in at the micro's with AK pre, you will get called by enough worse hands for it to be profitable but I tend to keep it opponent specific which basically just means I'm not shoving it into a multi tabling reg who's showing some aggression. Against unknown fish then I have no problem putting 100bb's on the line with AK.

Do you have a tracker so that you know for sure it's a losing hand or do you just feel like it's a losing hand?

Yeah I don't have tracker...I have HoldEm Manager but I am buggered if I know how to use it to full effect. Any more user friendly programs you could recommend?

As for A K, I would stake my life that it has cost me more than it has won me. As I type an aggressive chump on a SnG I am playing has just called my preflop raise only for me to miss again and for him to shove.

Yeah I don't have tracker...I have HoldEm Manager but I am buggered if I know how to use it to full effect. Any more user friendly programs you could recommend?

As for A K, I would stake my life that it has cost me more than it has won me. As I type an aggressive chump on a SnG I am playing has just called my preflop raise only for me to miss again and for him to shove.